Giannis Antetokounmpo Would Make Sense, but Would he Solve Rockets' Problems?

On Tuesday, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated set social media ablaze, reporting that the Houston Rockets are going to make a push for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. Mannix reported with a level of confidence that makes you want to believe the report.

Take a look (or listen) for yourself.

“Look, the Giannis thing that’s out there. I know...I believe that they’re going to try to make a run at him in the offseason. So that looms.”

Mannix continued, adding that he's spoken with the Rockets' brainpower on multiple occasions.

“I was up and down there a couple of times and I have talked to Rafael Stone about this and the front office people there, like they made a great deal for Durant. They didn’t give up all of their assets. They’ve still got a treasure trove of assets that they can use to make a deal. So, if they can make one more big swing, whether it’s Giannis or someone else, to get another player that fits the timeline of Kevin Durant, what they did this season was worth it.”

We'll see whether anything happens. As it pertains to Antetokounmpo, we've seen this song and dance before. It's become an annual thing.

But should the Rockets make such a move? Any time an opportunity presents itself to realistically acquire a top-5 or top-10 player, you have to consider it. It's a star-driven league.

Pairing two MVPS typically leads to good things. Antetokounmpo's presence surely makes life easier for Kevin Durant, who the Rockets were able to acquire for a relatively low cost last offseason.

Durant and Antetokounmpo would have a truly wicked two-man game. And Antetokounmpo doesn't take games or possessions off. Exactly what Ime Udoka would love. Well, any coach, really.

Would Antetokounmpo be the missing piece, though? Let's dive into the Rockets' needs and assess.

He doesn't help solve Houston's 3-point shooting woes. In fact, the best way to optimize his skillset is to surround him with 3-point shooters.

Houston doesn't have those. You also have to question a potential pairing of Antetokounmpo and Amen Thompson, particularly on offense.

Again, the Bucks won a championship with Antetokounmpo with a roster compiled of outside shooters. Not players with fairly similar skillsets as him.

Then there's the fact that Houston's lack of bench depth would be even further compromised, because they'd be giving up assets that could be used to acquire bench depth. Houston would likely have to shell out Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. for Antetokounmpo.

Granted, Antetokounmpo has amounted to a better player than likely either of the two will become, at their peak. That's not the issue.

Getting rid of young players who are still developing (Sengun is 23-years-old and Smith is 22-years-old) for a small window of Antetokounmpo isn't necessarily the best decision, particularly when the roster would still not be built to maximize his strengths.

At the end of the day, it's certainly difficult to turn down a shot at a top-75 player of all time. But if Houston does make such a deal, they'd better make more moves afterwards.

But they'd likely be devoid of assets and unable to add more around Antetokounmpo. And with just one guaranteed year left on his deal (his contract includes a player option in 2027-28), it's a risky proposition.